g to see
the King of Navarre come out. Both, however, were doomed to
disappointment. But it was not enough to know that the king was not
there, it was necessary to find out what had become of him.

Therefore when the young couple were seen approaching from the end of
the alley, D'Alencon turned pale, while Charles felt his heart grow
glad; he instinctively desired that everything his brother had forced
him to do should fall back on the duke.

"He will outwit us again," murmured Francois, growing still paler.

At that moment the King was seized with such violent pains that he
dropped his bridle, pressed both hands to his sides, and shrieked like a
madman.

Henry hastily approached him, but by the time he had traversed the few
hundred feet which separated them, Charles had recovered.

"Whence do you come, monsieur?" said the King, with a sternness that
frightened Marguerite.

"Why, from the hunt, brother," replied she.

"The hunt was along the river bank, and not in the forest."

"My falcon swooped down on a pheasant just as we stopped behind every
one to look at the heron."

"Where is the pheasant?"

"Here; a beautiful bird, is it not?"

And Henry, in perfect innocence, held up his bird of purple, blue, and
gold plumage.

"Ah!" said Charles, "and this pheasant caught, why did you not rejoin
me?"

"Because the bird had directed its flight towards the park, sire, and
when we returned to the river bank we saw you half a mile ahead of us,
riding towards the forest. We set out to gallop after you, therefore,
for being in your Majesty's hunting-party we did not wish to lose you."

"And were all these gentlemen invited also?" said Charles.

"What gentlemen?" asked Henry, casting an inquiring look about.

"Why, your Huguenots, by Heaven!" said Charles; "at all events if they
were invited it was not by me."

"No, sire," replied Henry, "but possibly Monsieur d'Alencon asked them."

"Monsieur d'Alencon? How so?"

"I?" said the duke.

"Why, yes, brother," said Henry; "did you not announce yesterday that
you were King of Navarre? The Huguenots who demanded you for their king
have come to thank you for having accepted the crown, and the King for
having given it. Is it not so, gentlemen?"

"Yes! yes!" cried twenty voices. "Long live the Duc d'Alencon! Long live
King Charles!"

"I am not king of the Huguenots," said Francois, white with anger; then,
glancing stealthily at Charles, "and I sincerely trust I ne